Computer Generations

Generation in computer terminology is a change in technology a computer is/was being used.

Initially, the generation term was used to distinguish between varying hardware technologies.
But nowadays, generation includes both hardware and software, which together make up an
entire computer system.
There are totally five computer generations known till date. Each generation has been discussed
in detail along with their time period and characteristics. Here approximate dates against each
generations have been mentioned which are normally accepted.
Following are the main five generations of computers
S.N Generation & Description
.

1 First Generation
The period of first generation: 1946-1959. Vacuum tube based.

2 Second Generation
The period of second generation: 1959-1965. Transistor based.

3 Third Generation
The period of third generation: 1965-1971. Integrated Circuit based.

4 Fourth Generation
The period of fourth generation: 1971-1980. VLSI microprocessor based.

5 Fifth Generation
The period of fifth generation: 1980-onwards. ULSI microprocessor based

Computer - First Generation

The period of first generation was 1946-1959. The computers
of first generation used vacuum tubes as the basic
components for memory and circuitry for CPU (Central
Processing Unit). These tubes, like electric bulbs, produced a
lot of heat and were prone to frequent fusing of the
installations, therefore, were very expensive and could be
afforded only by very large organisations. In this generation
mainly batch processing operating system were used.
Punched cards, paper tape, and magnetic tape were used as
input and output devices. The computers in this generation
used machine code as programming language.
The main features of first generation are:
  Vacuum tube technology
 Unreliable
 Supported machine language only
 Very costly
 Generated lot of heat
 Slow input and output devices
 Huge size
 Need of A.C.
 Non-portable
 Consumed lot of electricity
Some computers of this generation were:
 ENIAC
 EDVAC
 UNIVAC
 IBM-701
 IBM-650
Computer - Second Generation
The period of second generation was 1959-1965. In this generation transistors were used that
were cheaper, consumed less power, more compact in size, more reliable and faster than the first
generation machines made of vacuum tubes. In this generation, magnetic cores were used as
primary memory and magnetic tape and magnetic disks as secondary storage devices. In this
generation assembly language and high-level programming languages like FORTRAN, COBOL
were used. The computers used batch processing and multiprogramming operating system.
The main features of second generation are:
 Use of transistors
 Reliable in comparison to first generation computers
 Smaller size as compared to first generation computers
 Generated less heat as compared to
first generation computers
 Consumed less electricity as
compared to first generation
computers
 Faster than first generation computers
 Still very costly
 A.C. needed
 Supported machine and assembly
languages
Some computers of this generation were:
 IBM 1620
 IBM 7094
  CDC 1604
 CDC 3600
 UNIVAC 1108
Computer - Third Generation
The period of third generation was 1965-1971. The computers of third generation used integrated
circuits (IC's) in place of transistors. A single IC has many transistors, resistors and capacitors
along with the associated circuitry. The IC was invented by Jack Kilby. This development made
computers smaller in size, reliable and efficient. In this generation remote processing, time-
sharing, multi-programming operating system were used. High-level languages (FORTRAN-II
TO IV, COBOL, PASCAL PL/1, BASIC, ALGOL-68 etc.) were used during this generation.
The main features of third generation are:
 IC used
 More reliable in comparison to previous two generations
 Smaller size
 Generated less heat
 Faster
 Lesser maintenance
 Still costly
 A.C needed
 Consumed lesser electricity
 Supported high-level language
Some computers of this generation were:
 IBM-360 series
 Honeywell-6000 series
 PDP(Personal Data Processor)
 IBM-370/168
 TDC-316
Computer - Fourth Generation
The period of fourth generation was 1971-1980. The computers of fourth generation used Very
Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits. VLSI circuits having about 5000 transistors and other
circuit elements and their associated circuits on a single chip made it possible to have
microcomputers of fourth generation. Fourth generation computers became more powerful,
compact, reliable, and affordable. As a result, it gave rise to personal computer (PC) revolution.
In this generation time sharing, real time, networks, distributed operating system were used. All
the high-level languages like C, C++, DBASE etc., were used in this generation.
The main features of fourth generation are:
 VLSI technology used
 Very cheap
 Portable and reliable
 Use of PC's
 Very small size
 Pipeline processing
 No A.C. needed
 Concept of internet was introduced
 Great developments in the fields of
networks
 Computers became easily available
Some computers of this generation were:
 DEC 10
 STAR 1000
 PDP 11
 CRAY-1(Super Computer)
 CRAY-X-MP(Super Computer)
Computer - Fifth Generation
The period of fifth generation is 1980-till date. In the fifth generation, the VLSI technology
became ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration) technology, resulting in the production of
microprocessor chips having ten million electronic components. This generation is based on
parallel processing hardware and AI (Artificial Intelligence) software. AI is an emerging branch
in computer science, which interprets means and method of making computers think like human
beings. All the high-level languages like C and C++,
Java, .Net etc., are used in this generation.
AI includes:
 Robotics
 Neural Networks
 Game Playing
 Development of expert systems to make decisions
in real life situations.
 Natural language understanding and generation.
The main features of fifth generation are:
 ULSI technology
 Development of true artificial intelligence
 Development of Natural language processing
 Advancement in Parallel Processing
 Advancement in Superconductor technology
 More user friendly interfaces with multimedia features
  Availability of very powerful and compact computers at cheaper rates
Some computer types of this generation are:
 Desktop
 Laptop
 NoteBook
 UltraBook
 ChromeBook
Computer - Types
Computers can be broadly classified by their speed and computing power.
Sr.No. Type Specifications

1 PC (Personal It is a single user computer system having moderately powerful

Computer) microprocessor

2 WorkStation It is also a single user computer system which is similar to

personal computer but have more powerful microprocessor.

3 Mini Computer It is a multi-user computer system which is capable of supporting

hundreds of users simultaneously.

4 Main Frame It is a multi-user computer system which is capable of supporting

hundreds of users simultaneously. Software technology is
different from minicomputer.

5 Supercomputer It is an extremely fast computer which can execute hundreds of

millions of instructions per second.

PC (Personal Computer)
A PC can be defined as a small, relatively inexpensive computer designed for an individual user.
PCs are based on the microprocessor technology that enables manufacturers to put an entire CPU
on one chip. Businesses use personal computers for word processing, accounting, desktop
publishing, and for running spreadsheet and database management applications. At home, the
most popular use for personal computers is playing games and
surfing Internet.
Although personal computers are designed as single-user
systems, these systems are normally linked together to form a
network. In terms of power, now-a-days High-end models of
the Macintosh and PC offer the same computing power and
graphics capability as low-end workstations by Sun
Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell.
Workstation
Workstation is a computer used for engineering applications (CAD/CAM), desktop publishing,
software development, and other such types of applications which require a moderate amount of
computing power and relatively high quality
graphics capabilities.
Workstations generally come with a large, high-
resolution graphics screen, large amount of RAM,
inbuilt network support, and a graphical user
interface. Most workstations also have a mass
storage device such as a disk drive, but a special
type of workstation, called a diskless workstation,
comes without a disk drive.
Common operating systems for workstations are
UNIX and Windows NT. Like PC, Workstations
are also single-user computers like PC but are
typically linked together to form a local-area network, although they can also be used as stand-
alone systems.

Minicomputer
It is a midsize multi-processing system capable of supporting up to 250
users simultaneously.

Mainframe
Mainframe is very large in size and is an expensive computer
capable of supporting hundreds or even thousands of users
simultaneously. Mainframe executes many programs
concurrently and supports many simultaneous execution of
programs

Supercomputer
Supercomputers are one of the fastest computers currently available.
Supercomputers are very expensive and are employed for
specialized applications that require immense amount of
mathematical calculations (number crunching). For example,
weather forecasting, scientific simulations, (animated) graphics,
fluid dynamic calculations, nuclear energy research, electronic design, and analysis of geological
data (e.g. in petrochemical prospecting).